Rain competes with state track meet

Discus fans and players huddle agains the hard rain that stopped play at the VHSL state track meet in Radford Friday afternoon.

Rain, lots of it, competed against high school track athletes in the Virginia High School League State Tournament in Radford Friday afternoon.

For a while, the wet stuff seemed to be winning.

A torrential downpour dropped several inches of rain in a downpour that brought track activity to a halt shortly after the field events began at 1 p.m. Friday at Radford University’s track complex along the Little River.

And while officials struggled to return the the shot put area back into some kind of usable form, a lightning strike nearby shut things down again.

Then the skies cleared, play resumed and Daryn Hughes of Floyd County High School scored a second place finish in shot put with a throw of fifty-one feet,, three and a quarter inches, and Jade Sunderland took home a third place in shot put.

Daryn Hughes nails second in shot put.Jade Sunderland scores a third in discus in state meet.

Floyd County finished sixth in 3,200 meter relay.

A full day of events kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday and rain may be a player as well with thunderstorms scheduled to hit around noon and continue into the afternoon and evening. A severe storm warning is in effect for around 3 p.m.

More photos along with Roger Mannon’s complete story in next week’s Floyd Press.

Clean-up at the shot put area of state meet on Friday.The rain even sent tubers on the Little River scurrying for cover.